The Hero and the Skald
by Septentrion Euchoreutes
Summary: A gijinka fic that takes place in the equivalent of the early middle ages. A miltank and a lucario team up and fight for the things at are important to them. All character in this world are gijinka.
1. Aura Sensing

I could not understand my reasoning for staying in the Black Dagger bandit group. I do not know the exact price for attending the Bard's Collage and it was a pretty steep price from what I've heard. I probably just got so used to the risky and lucrative business of stealing from caravans and other travelers. It isn't so much of the short term lifestyle, but the lack of change in my life that was unhealthy.

It had been about a month since I evolved into a lucario and I was still getting used my aura abilities. Richard, the bayleef archer was counting all the coins we got from hold up while Garduk the rough, a graveler, was shaving.

"One hundred and ninety-seven, one hundred and ninety-eight, one hundred and ninety-nine," Richard said as he counted, "Hey Marcelo, what comes after one hundred and ninety-nine?"

"Two hundred," I said.

"That's really dumb of you," Garduk says, "What else can it possibly be?"

"Hey, I'm not used to dealing with so many things. At least I didn't screw up like that treasurer we had," Richard says.

"We used to have a treasurer?" I said

"You've met Adair the Loud?" Garduk said, "He used to be called Adair the Meticulous. Then one day he announces to the entire hideout that we got over a million coins from a caravan raid. He thought the big number after one thousand was a million. Needless to say, the name didn't stick."

"What is the big number after a thousand?" Richard asked.

"Ten thousand, then it's one hundred thousand, then it's a million," I said.

Suddenly I noticed a person on the road out of view.

"There's a person all alone on the road," I said, "We don't have much time."

"All alone?" Garduk said, "I guess this area was assumed to be free of bandits before today. It's not surprising that someone could be so carefree"

I sensed for the aura to find out what I can about this person.

"Female, typeless, moderate strength aura, and a meatless diet" I said sensing her aura, "I do not recognize her race from her aura, but she's stronger than the average typeless gijinka."

"Typeless," Garduk says, "That's no problem for Mercelo and me."

"She may know special moves. Typeless pokemon can be tricky but three of us can handle her," I said.

We moved to intercept the traveler, Garduk bringing his hammer. I kept my swords in their scabbards so I did't have to worry about picking them up. I couldn't figure out much more about the girl gijinka from her aura, except that she was strong, stronger than any of our team's aura. Aura wasn't the best indicator of strength but it did tell a lot about potential.

We hid behind a large rock near the road. She came up from over a hill as I sense her aura. This was going to be easy. Richard peeked out.

"You didn't tell me she was pregnant," Richard said, "I'm not robbing a pregnant woman."

"I didn't sense anything. Are you sure she's pregnant?" I said, "We won't go that far."

"She has a long sword and huge shield on her back," Richard says, "So maybe not."

I looked out for a peek and studied this person.

"Small white horns on her head, a tail with a ball on the end, fair skin, brown hair, blue eyes. She has black and white clothing, although that messy black and white pattern is unknown to me." I said, "Her race is a complete mystery to me, and she is most definitely not pregnant."

"Blue eyes? As an archer I wish I was blessed with your vision," Richard said, "So it's okay to attack, but that shield is going to be a problem with my arrow. So, what's with her chest? Do you think it has much to do with her race? I still have my doubts."

"That body shape is like a slightly exaggerated gogoat woman, although I'm reminded of the darker skin bouffalant. She's not overfeed like those nobles or the more gluttonous races because her stomach doesn't budge out," I said, "and I can sense pregnancy before the physical signs show up so it's not that at all."

"What if her race has some terrible ability? Smeargles are typeless as well and you wouldn't believe what they can do," Richard said.

"She stops," I said, "She must notice something."

"Well, typeless gijinka may be tricky but they all are softskin to me," Garduk said.

The rock type lead step out to the road and I was obligated to follow him. I drew my swords as Richard drew his bow behind. The girl grabs her shield and holds it on her side. She must have notice Richard and his drawn bow. I wonder if she was a good enough sidestepper to avoid Richard's arrows.

"Hi boys, looking for people to rob?" She said, "I don't have anything beyond what I don't need to survive."

"You have a pretty nice sword. It's not from around here, and neither are you from what my colleague says," Garduk said.

"Yes, I've been far and wide an never seen your race anywhere," I said, "And I've been to the furthest reaches of the world. I've even been past the Dragon's Land."

"That's a funny thing to say. How do you know there aren't further places? There could be more than one dragon's land," she said.

"There are pretty extensive maps of every place gijinkas have been to, even primitive lands are mapped out. There's a lib…"

"Mercelo enough!" Garduk says, "It's clear you don't have any gold or jewelry but you're holding the best sword I've seen in a long time, so thin and long; I'm sure someone would pay good money for that. It would be the centerpiece of today's loot. It'll make the long trip out here worth it."

"So you recently rob somebody?" she says.

"Yes, so do not be getting ideas about resisting or anything," Garduk says.

"I do have some things of interest in my bag," she says.

She reached into a small snatchel and pulled out a kelpsy berry and flicked it up in the air.

"Garduk, get out of the way!" I yelled as I dove away from the girl. I feel a blast strike my body. I may not know this girl's race, but I know natural gift, and the effect of all fifty-eight known berries. By consuming a berry and drawing natural energy, the user of a move can use elemental energy as a weapon in a chaotic manner. The effect of the kelspy berry is an aura-natured explosion that expands through the air and diving to the ground minimizes the damage.

I've never been assaulted by such strong aura before and try to get up in pain. I looked and saw the girl bashing Richard with her shield, breaking his bow in the process. Garduk was knocked out completely by the natural gift explosion. I try moving but my feet can't find the ground. My senses were messed up by the aura, and that was the one aura based natural gift. Such horrible luck says much about my life choices.

I fall back to the ground and saw blackness and the pain took me. I woke up and see Garduk still unconscious. I stood up and noticed that Richard wasn't in sight. I ran back to where the loot was. Richard was there covered head to toe with bruises. There was no loot.

"I'm sorry Mercelo, she took it all," Richard said.

"How long has it been?" I said, "We can still catch her."

"It's no good. You were out for the good part of an hour."

It was at this point when I decided that the power to be did not care much for my lifestyle.


	2. Two Weapon Fighting

**The rest of the story will be from our heroine's view, when we are with the party that is. I just thought it was important that the main characters are introduced from an outside perspective.**

It was nearly sun down when I heard some behind me. I thought of the bandits who took the money from. I was a stone's-throw away from a town so it would be a bad place for bandits. When I turned I was surprised to see just one of them running my way. The one who I think was called Mercelo by the others. I was pretty sure he was a lucario, though I've never seen one before.

He had slight dark skin and brown eye. He had a spike on his chest which was the only thing I heard about lucario, other than a supposed ability of sensing life.

"You're not doing this banditry thing very well," I said, "If it took you three men to be beaten by a miltank, one man isn't going to cut it."

"That is why I am no longer a bandit." He kneed down before me. "My miserable defeat was at the hand of gods and spirits of old. I must be diligent in my true profession as a bard. It is clear that I must change my profession to protect those worthy of my protection."

"Gods and spirits you say? You make it sound like you were the ones who were outnumbered," I said.

"Don't get me wrong. I was only lead to you by these powers. I wish to be you protector. Only a small sum is required. Maybe one fifth of the coins you taken…"

"This gold is mine," I state, "You don't deserve one-fifth of 447 coins."

"I didn't know there was that many," he said with his tail lowering, "we weren't done counting. How did you count them so fast?"

"I'm good with numbers."

"So, does twenty coins to be your guard sound fair. Travelling alone isn't a good idea. I feel destined to be your guard," he pleaded.

"If want to be my guard this badly, then shouldn't you be paying me?" I said.

The lucario drew his two swords. "I will prove my worth. My name is Mercelo. If we share our names, we are less likely to injure each other in a duel."

"Okay Sir Two-Swords," I said, "My name is Annika."

I drew my sword and grab my shield from the back.

I decide to taunt him. "So, are shields too expensive were you came from or are lucarios too stupid to understand what a bow is?"

"I'm steel type. I can handle a few arrows so long as I protect my eyes."

"That explains a lot of one-eye steel types I've seen."

Mercelo attacked. He was quick on his feet and he move around my, but he was having trouble getting his swords pass my shield. When he moved to my right, he often attacked, only to pull out when my sword easily deflect his swords.

"You're not achieving anything by going to my left," I said. He was fast enough to get by my shield that way.

One attempt left a huge opening, and my attack made him drop his sword, but the sword was caught by hook by the other sword. He kicked off my shield and ran backwards when he landed.

His stance change as he had both swords in one hand while blue sphere was forming in his other hand. I notice a scratch were I got him with my sword. It wasn't a good enough hit for a steel type. As he launched the sphere of aura, I blocked with my shield.

The shock I felt was like a mallet hitting my shield, but I stood strong as Mercelo came in a all or nothing charge. Denying him entry with my sword, I slammed my shield into him and hit his head. He was knocked dizzy and another hit from the shield knocked him out.

He was pretty quick and brave but he was outmatched. Maybe I could let him stick around for my journey..


End file.
